WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Capital University baseball team traveled across town on Tuesday afternoon for a faceoff with rival Otterbein. On a cold and windy 44 degree afternoon, the Comets struggled to get the bats going and lost both games by run-rule, 11-1 and 14-4 respectively.
Capital now stands at 5-12 on the season, having just entered OAC play. Otterbein was their first conference matchup of the year.
GAME ONE: Otterbein wins 11-1
Curtis Clark was on the hill to start the day for the Comets. He would go four innings, giving up nine runs (eight earned) on 14 hits, two walks, and one balk. He struck out two batters during his outing.
Gavin Vanhorn (2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO, 1 WP) and
Ben Hatfield (0.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 WP, 1 HBP) were brought in to stem the tide but to no avail. Clark would go down as the losing pitcher, now sitting at 0-3 on the season.
On the offensive side of things, Capitals lone run was scored by
Brendan Stinson who reached base on balls. He would reach base twice in the game, both coming from free passes, the only two walks allowed by Otterbein's pitching corps.
Six Capital players recorded hits in the game.
Logan White led the offense with two hits and one RBI. Otherwise in the hit column were
Cade Anderson (2),
Brandon Barnette (2),
Connor Feeney,
Ryne McKinney, and
Cole Callaghan, totaling nine hits collectively for the Comets.
Interestingly enough, Capital broke open the scoring in the first inning and led 1-0 following the first one and a half frames. However, a five run Cardinal second inning en route to 11 unanswered runs proved too much for the Comets who lost 11-1 in seven innings. The line score for the Purple and White: one run, nine hits, three errors. For Otterbein: 11 runs, 17 hits, zero errors.
GAME TWO: Otterbein wins 14-4
Tyler Sickles started the second game for Capital, going two and one-third innings and giving up five earned runs on two hits, four walks, and two hit batsmen, while waving just one.
Bryant Caporale (01. IP, 2 ER, 2 BB),
Aaron Olech (4.1 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO),
Spencer Knight (0.1 IP, 2 H,3 ER, 1 BB, 1 WP), and
Kaleb Stafford (0.0 IP, 1 H, 1 WP) backed up Sickles out of the pen. Sickles collected his second decision of the year, picking up the loss and is now 1-1 on the season.
Things looked to be getting better for the Comets batting-wise in the second game as they roared out to a 4-0 lead in the second inning. These runs came in the form of
Tyler Knapp,
EJ Santana,
Hunter Wilson, and
Cole Callaghan. The power needed to knock them in was provided by
Brendan Stinson,
Cade Anderson, and Wilson, who each picked up an RBI a piece.
Only five Comets worked their way into the hit column in this one. Those being Santana (2), Stinson, McKinney, Wilson, and Callaghan, totaling six for the team.
Once again Capital started stronger than their adversary and led at one point, 4-0. However, once again, the Cardinals came back stronger, boasting nine runs in the third inning as part of their 14 run unanswered run streak, on the way to a 14-4 run-rule victory in eight innings. The line score for the Purple and White: four runs, six hits, no errors. For Otterbein: 14 runs, 12 hits, one error.
UP NEXT
Capital baseball will be back at it tomorrow, March 30, at 3:30 p.m. EST. The Comets will host Ohio Christian with the game being played at a neutral site on the campus of Ohio Dominican University. For more information as well as game statistics and ticket information, visit athletics.capital.edu.
